Rottweilers are loyal, affectionate, and loving dogs. They are one of the most obedient breeds. But are Rottweilers Protective?
Rottweilers are known for being naturally protective of their owners and their territory. They are incredible guard dogs who are strong, fearless, and extremely loyal to their family. This breed will fiercely protect you from all kinds of threats and keep your house safe from intruders.
We will further understand what makes them protective and go through some real-life stories from rottweiler owners.
Why are Rottweilers Protective?
Rottweilers are one of the most protective dog breeds. To understand the reason behind this, let’s have a look at their history.
Rottweilers originated from Germany, where they were used for herding cattle. They would control the livestock and protect them from wild animals like wolves.
The farmers would then butcher these cattle for meat. Their rott would pull these meat carts to the market.
After selling the meat, farmers would tie the bag full of money around their rottweiler’s neck to keep it safe from thieves and looters.
This gave them a high drive to protect. Their history of working with farmers made them loyal and dedicated companions.
Rottweilers as Guard Dogs
Guard dogs are dogs that can guard the property and keep it safe from introducers. These dogs are also capable of protecting their human companions.
Rottweilers have a high drive to protect their owners and territory from any threat. They are strong, courageous, and confident. This makes them one of the best guard dog breeds.
Rotties are incredibly loyal to their owners and are eager to please them. This makes them comparatively easy to train to guard properties as well as people.
I asked our community of Rottweiler owners to share some of such stories:
Nathen K.: ‘Last year, at around 2 in the morning, our three-year-old Rottie started barking out loud. When we went downstairs and a broken window. We immediately contacted the police and checked our security footage. Two intruders almost made it inside our house until our Max scared them away.’
Jaxson: We let our Luca (rottweiler) sleep inside the house, and he had alarmed us multiple times. This one time, we found some blood drops near the window. It turns out he bit the intruder who was trying to get in at night. We were all impressed and surprised because Luca is not at all aggressive, not even with strangers.
Gael: This one time, I was playing fetch with my rottweiler, and my hand mistakenly hit a stranger while throwing the ball. While my rottweiler ran to get the ball, this guy started coming on to me. Out of nowhere, the guy punched me on my face. I lost my senses for a while, but the next thing I see is my rott jumping on that guy. He almost bit that guy before I got up and pulled him with his leash. The guy just got up and ran out of fear. My rottweiler is not at all aggressive, but he won’t hold back when it comes to protecting me.
Training your Rottweiler to be Protective
Rottweilers are naturally protective, and if they are not appropriately trained, this could cause some serious problems. Untrained and poorly socialized Rotties may attack innocent strangers who just try to interact with you. They may try to scare friendly guests.
They don’t know the difference between innocent strangers and threats. It’s the owner’s responsibility to teach them.
You don’t need to go to great lengths to train rotties. They are one of the most obedient dog breeds. They learn commands quickly. All you need to do is be consistent with their training.
Socialization
Socialization is an integral part of every dog’s life. It gives them confidence and makes them more comfortable in different situations.
Socialization is a process of exposing your dog to different environments, people, dogs, and animals from an early age. It teaches the puppy to get along in different situations.
Here are few things you must do to socialize your Rottie
- Take them to parks and other social places.
- Ask your friends and extended family members to come and meet your pup.
- Expose them to a place with lots of people around and teach them how to interact with others.
- Introduce dogs to your pup.
- Introduce other common pets, like cats.
Try to make the socialization process fun and positive for your pup. Shower them with praises and reward them with treats when they behave correctly.
Socialization teaches your rottweiler to differ between what’s a threat and what’s not.
Socialization is crucial, especially for rottweilers. Failing at this can make the dog fearful and even aggressive.
Obedience Training
Rottweilers are known for their obedience, but they do not train themself! It’s the owner’s responsibility to train their Rotties.
Obedience training consists of basic commands like:
- Sit
- Stay
- Come
- No
- Drop
Giving them basic obedience is far more important than we think. It creates a solid foundation for their further training. It helps the rott to accept you as the leader and follow your commands.
Positive Reinforcement
In positive reinforcement, you reward your dog with treats, praises toys, or toys whenever they follow your commands. This further motivates them to do what you desire.
This method is by far the most effective and correct way to train any dog.
Using harmful training methods like shock collars or punishments can scare the dog for life. It can make them fearful and lead to aggression.
Correcting the wrong behavior
You must correct your rottweiler whenever he misbehaves. For instance, if your Rottie barks at lunges on strangers, immediately hold him back with his leash and say NO.
Wrong behaviors of Rottweilers can include:
- Lunging at strangers.
- Barking on strangers.
- Barking all the time until the guests leave your house.
- Ignoring your commands.
- Barking at other dogs and animals.
- Barking or Attacking people who try to interact with you.
Final Thought
Well-trained and adequately socialized Rottweilers will protect you, your family, and your house from any threats. They should realize who’s a normal person and who’s a threat to the family.
They should bark when someone knows the door but stop as soon as they realize it’s not a threat. While walking, they should be alert but behave calmly with other people and dogs.
They are obedient and loyal to their owners, but they need to be taught the correct way to protect their human companions.
